Sturm
JOHANNES, a German educational reformer; born in Sleiden, Luxemburg, Oct. 1, 1507. In his 15th year he was sent to school at Liege and continued his studies at the College of Louvain. He devoted himself to acquiring a Latin style and studied Cicero assiduously.
In 1529 he went to Paris, and at first gave himself to medicine, but returned to the study of Cicero, on whom he gave courses of lectures in the College Royal.
Besides lecturing on Cicero he also taught dialectics, and had for one of his students Petrus Ramus. When a request was made to him (1536) by the authorities of Strassburg to come to their assistance in reorganizing the education of their town, Sturm accepted their offer. Both in the religion and politics STURM of his time Sturm took a prominent part, and on different occasions was sent on missions to France, England, and Denmark. In religion he took sides with Zwingli against Luther, with whose followers in Strassburg he was in constant controversy, which embittered all the later years of his life.
Guided and inspired by Sturm the town became one of the most important educational centers in Europe.
Elementary and secondary education were provided for; but it was the ambition of Sturm that the higher studies should also be within reach of every youth of Strassburg. The divided councils of the town, however, and the outlay the organization of such studies would imply delayed Sturm's scheme till as late as 1564. In that year was founded the Strassburg Academy, which, together with the gymnasium, supplied a complete course of instruction in all the learning of the time. It is his chief praise that beyond all his contemporaries he succeeded in corelating public instruction to the moral and intellectual development of his time. He died in Strassburg March 3, 1589. a